Multifunctional Furniture

Innovation and scope

Ar. Stuti Bhatia

[email protected]

MULTIFUNCTIONAL FURNITURE 1
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to identify
the genesis, evolution and scope of
Multifunctional Furniture by means
of research on the trends of modern
furniture designs. It is to be identified
why the need of such designs arose
and how well is it solving the problem
it was meant to, whether or not these
designs are affordable, and finally
state the limitations and further
improvements required to make
designs more effective. Minimalistic Furniture Design

ensuring a proper habitable space for

Key Words all becomes a major challenge. This
Multifunctional Furniture, however, is only a part of the bigger
Scandinavian Design, Minimalism problem. Various other natural
factors like earthquakes, volcanic
Introduction eruptions, tsunamis, floods, rising sea
levels etc. and man-made factors like
The use of furniture dates back to the
wars, terrorism, radioactivity etc.
Neolithic Ages, where stones were
render large chunks of land unfit for
arranged to make cupboards,
habitation.
dressers, beds, shelves and seats. Since
In order to overcome this shortage,
then, furniture design has expanded
architects and planners started
and evolved with passage of time and
growing upwards, giving birth to
needs. The most recent and eye
Skyscrapers. Eventually, the carpet
catching trend is of Multifunctional
areas in these flats saw a sharp
and Minimalistic Furniture designs. It
decline, more profound in the
is gaining recognition owing its ability
Western countries. This forced the
to fit in small spaces without
designers to create space from the
compromising with the functionality.
given volumetric configuration by
According to a survey, the world
innovating day to day items to buy
population hits a new mark growing
breathing space for the users. Since
at the rate of 1.63 Lac people per day.
With the limited land resource,

MULTIFUNCTIONAL FURNITURE 2
they couldn’t expand the boundaries, effective, less ornamental design
they folded the furniture. process.

Genesis Evolution
Multifunctional Furniture first came However criticised during the 1960s
in existence during the 1920s when and 1970s due to confining the
German cities suffered serious woman of the house in the kitchen for
housing shortage post WW1. Various the entire day, Margarete Schütte-
social housing projects were built to Lihotzky's Frankfurt Kitchen initiated
increase the number of rental a new line of Furniture design. These
apartments. One such project was pieces of furniture were sleek,
‘New Frankfurt’ by Ernst May. Being minimalistic and elegant. Sometimes
on a tight budget, these social projects installed due to lack of space,
were made affordable but weren’t sometimes due to their fascinating
spacious enough to be comfortable. transformations alone.
Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, an These designs were superseded by
Austrian Architect came forward with 'Scandinavian Design’.
a solution, ‘The Frankfurt Kitchen’.
Her design departed from the then
common kitchen-cum-living room.
The typical worker's household lived
in a two-room apartment, in which
the kitchen served many functions at
once: besides cooking, one dined,
lived, bathed, and even slept there,
while the second room, intended as
the parlour, often was reserved for
special occasions such as a rare
Sunday dinner. Instead, Schütte-
Lihotzky's kitchen was a small
separate room, connected to the
living room by a sliding door; thus
separating the functions of work
(cooking etc.) from those of living and A modern re-adaptation of the Frankfurt
relaxing. Kitchen.
This sowed the seeds for a more

MULTIFUNCTIONAL FURNITURE 3
Scandinavian Design is a term that
refers to a design movement
characterised by simplicity,
minimalism and functionality that
emerged in the 1950s in the five
Nordic countries of Denmark,
Norway, Sweden, Iceland and
Finland.
The idea that beautiful and functional
everyday objects should not only be
affordable to the wealthy, but to all, is A modern exhibit of Scandinavian Design
Chairs.
a core theme in the development of
modernism and functionalism. This is
probably most completely realised in
Analysis
post-WWII Scandinavian design. The The term 'Multifunctional Furniture'
ideological background was the points to the types of furniture design
increased availability of new low-cost which bring together more than 3
materials and methods for mass different pieces of furniture and fuse
production. Scandinavian design them into one, such that one furniture
often makes use of form-pressed item serves their purpose, by making
wood, plastics, anodised or enamelled certain mechanical adjustments. But
aluminium or pressed steel. despite the great deal of promise one
The concept of Scandinavian design might associate with the term, we are
has been the subject of many rather quick to use the expression
scholarly debates, exhibitions and "multi-functional furniture". If we
marketing agendas during the last 50 take a somewhat closer look, we see
years. that for most of the time this
furniture is simply modular or all-
purpose, or is completely removed
from its original function. There is a
sincere lack of furniture that is even
able to fulfil two functions let alone
three, four or more. An example
being built-in furniture: though many
Chairs at the Danish Design Centre. such units appear extremely practical,
seldom are they true to the term

MULTIFUNCTIONAL FURNITURE 4
"multi-functional". This also applies
to system furniture.

Janus by Pascal Mourgue.

Nils Strinning's String Shelving System ‘Bi’ rather than ‘multi-

functional’
An all-time classic of multi-functional
furniture is the sofa bed. In its
ordinary state it is a sofa, but once
opened out it transforms into
somewhere to sleep. Another
favourite is the bench with storage
space beneath the seat.
Yet the few examples that spring to
mind – be it a bench that doubles up
Yak by Rupert Kopp
as a coat-stand such as "Yak" by
To take the "String" shelving system Rupert Kopp , or a screen where you
by Nils Strinning as an example, can also hang your clothes like
cupboard elements can be used to "nan10" by Fabio Biancaniello, or
transform a small shelving unit into a even Pascal Mourgue's "Janus" sofa
large one; but it essentially remains an bed – remain more bi-functional than
item of furniture used for storage and multi-functional.
storage alone, not sitting, reading or There is usually a certain necessity
sleeping. behind the decision to design an item
of multi-functional furniture, in most
cases a lack of the space or money to

MULTIFUNCTIONAL FURNITURE 5
accommodate various different items making for a flexible response to the
of furniture. However, this often gives peculiarities of any room, one
rise not to multi-functional furniture element being a table that doubles in
but rather to related product size when opened up. While it was
categories such as sectional, modular Ferdinand Kramer who designed
and system furniture – ergo furniture furniture that could be combined to
that can be combined and assembled suit the needs and tastes of the user,
as part of a complete line of similar particularly well-suited to dwellings
elements. with small ground plans. The smallest
That said, built-in furniture can dwellings on these estates were almost
definitely provide intelligent solutions completely fitted with built-in
to a lack of a space. This was the furniture; it was said that you could
basis for the architect Ernst May's move in with nothing more than a
housing project implemented after the table and chairs. Practical, but was
First World War as a response to the this really multi-functionality applied?
urgent need for housing: a project An early example of sectional
that would prove to be one of the furniture concepts is Bruno Paul's
most significant for Classical "expanding apartment" system,
Modernism in Germany. Between produced between 1930 and 1958 in
1925 and 1930, a number of estates the Deutschen Werkstätten in
were built in and around Frankfurt/ Hellerau. In 1950 Hans Gugelot
Main in accordance with May's devised the "M 125" furniture system,
concept of New Building. The a set of building blocks with panels,
ground plans for these apartments brackets and metal fittings, which
and terraced houses were at times could be used to make various drawer
extremely restricted in terms of space and shelving units, room-separating
thus calling for new kinds of furniture elements through to built-in wall
and furniture systems. To make life combinations. Rudolf Horn also
on such a small footprint halfway came up with a variable furniture
pleasurable, Margarete Schütte- system, whose combinations were left
Lihotzky designed the "Frankfurt up to the user to decide; this system
kitchen", an effective, space-efficient became quite common in former East
built-in furniture concept. Over the Germany, whose citizens were more
course of the building project Frank than familiar with scarcity. Flexible,
Schuster developed a modular but multi-functional?
furniture system, its adaptability

MULTIFUNCTIONAL FURNITURE 6
 objective, namely to save space. But
communications designer Per
Mollerup differentiates an item's
ability to collapse as the auxiliary
function from the objective function,
to provide seating for example.
"Collapsible objects are based on the
concept of adaptation, a principle
that simultaneously constitutes a
Le Van Bo presented his furniture
fundamental survival strategy: If you
experiment – the "welfare
don't adapt you don't survive," he
apartment". "The idea is to make for
writes in his book "Collapsibles". He
maximum quality of living in the
also states that "People – themselves
smallest space," claimed the architect.
variable both physically and
He designed a complete set with all
psychologically – need and want
the furniture one would need to fit a
variable objects." But this is no more
21m² apartment – for purposes of
than a case of objects that remain
comparison, the same size as the
"useless" in their collapsed state.
smallest standard apartment in
The 19th-century "Ottakring ladder-
Plattenbau – which is assembled by
chair", designed by Tyrolean monks
the occupants themselves, with the
in for their monastic library, provides
help of a few nails and some glue.
a slightly different example. Ottakring
Based on the "Ulm Stool" by Max
is the name of a district in Vienna,
Bill, the "Berlin Stool" is just one
where the chair is today
element from this program and
The Ottakring ladder-chair
similarly to its predecessor can be
manufactured at the Viennese design
used as a table, stool or shelf. Useful,
institution, Section N. This item of
but multi-functional?
furniture has two objective functions,
one as a ladder the other as a stool.
The multi-functional – a Since its conception, the principle has
matter of collapsing? been subject to numerous adaptations
and a variety of different design
In some respect, collapsible objects
concepts.
are multi-functional, provided that we
Both Scoope Design – with their
consider "collapsing" a function in
"Elda Chair" – and Benedetto
itself. Both collapsible and multi-
Quaquaro – with his "Scalo" – have
functional products share the same

MULTIFUNCTIONAL FURNITURE 7
 Favouritism
Whether collapsible for multi-
functional, there is now an additional
requirement that drives us in our
efforts to create adaptable furniture:
the need for freedom. This urge for
freedom has found expression, for
instance, in trailers and motor homes
fitted out with complex built-in
(Above) ’Elda Chair’ by Scoope Design furniture solutions. In most cases their
(Below) ‘Scalo’ by Benedetto Quaquaro. functional marvel consists in the
seating area's ability to transform into
a double bed. Otherwise there are
many practical and above all space-
saving features to make the user's stay
more comfortable, such as adjustable
shelving or disappearing stainless steel
kitchen sinks. But we want to remain
mobile in many areas of our lives, not
just on vacation; we live, after all, in
an ever-active, highly networked
society. We relocate for our jobs, store
books from our childhood in
containers and use social media to
maintain contact with family, friends
and acquaintances all over the world.
Thus this desire for mobility can be
identified less as need and rather as
compulsion. We place exactly the
same demands on our environment,
tools and resources as are placed on
released their own interpretations of us. Adaptable apartments, multi-
the ladder-chair, and both pay functional auxiliaries that help us
particular attention to design. through life, flexible infrastructure.
Variable, but multi-functional? Great visionaries have been
anticipating our future needs and

MULTIFUNCTIONAL FURNITURE 8
have designed the flexible apartment
to suit a variety of future scenarios.

Joe Colombo’s Total Furnishing Unit, 1971-72

Ignazia Favata/Studio Joe Colombo, Milan.

Joe Colombo, to name just one of

many, has devised so-called "dynamic
pieces of furniture" or "living
machines", which combine all the
necessary functions and should adapt (Above)Interior of the Apartment by Joe
to the respective architectural Colombo IV, via Argelati 30b, Milan, 1970
Ignazia Favata/Studio Joe Colombo, Milan.
framework. The "total furnishing
(Below) Interior of Visiona I by Joe Colombo at
unit" is a compact module that brings the furniture fair in cologne for the company
together a kitchen, bedroom, Bayer, 1968.
wardrobe and bathroom. Compact,
but multi-functional? have succeeded in changing our
relationship to the everyday objects
Losing track that surround us. The clothes-hanger-
It is not our requirements that cum-brush by Konstantin Grcic, for
determine the objects' design, but the example, combines the actions of
objects themselves that determine and hanging our clothes and brushing
change our existing habits and them down. Yvonne Fehling and
behavioural patterns. There are a Jennie Peiz's chair-and-stool-and-
number of multi-functional items that

MULTIFUNCTIONAL FURNITURE 9
bench is three types of seat in one artwork rather a useful commodity.
almost sculptural item. With aesthetics overpowering the
functionality, these splices aren’t
installed, but exhibited, auctioned
and sold at precociously high costs.
They are no more suiting to those in
need but those who have heavy
wallets.
Every individual today who plans to
install multifunctional furniture unit
in his/her home, is undoubtedly
satisfied with the functional aspect of
Lighting ‘Snug’ by Bina Baitel.
the product, but doesn’t fail to
With "Snug" Bina Baitel created a mention that it did turn out to be
luminaire that spills out into a rug. heavy on the pocket.
Although these examples may appear On the other hand, these units will
to unite diverse functions in one item prove to be very useful if they are
of furniture, they cannot be termed installed as a part of a mass housing
as multi-functional. They rather scheme funded by a benefactor.
hybrids, or sculptures that move Production in 100s will bring down
between product design and art, or the cost drastically and hence prove to
innovative objects that stimulate our be affordable.
visual perception and question our
habits. Conclusions/Limitations
1. Since genesis of this line of
Cost Factor furniture was because of a
Considering the genesis of this line of housing shortage, till today the
furniture was due to housing shortage prime focus of multifunctional
and a conscious effort in the users’ furniture has remained domestic.
favour, Multifunctional Furniture was 2. No innovative multifunctional
meant to be affordable. It was meant design proposals have been
to cater the needs of those who presented for spaces like offices,
couldn’t afford a different piece of exam halls, conference rooms,
furniture for every other function. hospitals etc.
Today, it has deviated into being an 3. Multifunctional furniture, though
meant to make the small

MULTIFUNCTIONAL FURNITURE 10
 affordable housing schemes used for a healthy interaction
habitable, in today’s time is among astronauts in a foreign
considered to be a luxury rather environment.
than a unit for the needy.
4. Multifunctional Furniture is a References
term often misused. Majority of
1. ‘The small world of
design proposals are splices
Multifunctional Furniture’,
consisting of 2-3 functions only.
www.stylepark.com
Few examples exist which are true
2. ‘Transforming Furniture’-
to the name. All others are
Resource Furniture,
generally ‘Space-saving
www.resourcefurniture.com
Furniture’, ‘Minimalistic
3. ‘Scandinavian Design’, Wikipedia
Furniture’ or ‘Transformable or
4. ‘Frankfurt Kitchen’, Wikipedia
Collapsible Furniture’.
5. ‘6 rooms into 1’, a YouTube
5. As these units are created by
documentary
merging 4 or more units of
6. ‘Multifunctional Furniture design
furniture together. Considering
ideas’, Pintrest
the number of individual
7. IKEA furniture solutions
furniture units that exist today,
there are n number of
configurations that can be
created. This line of furniture has
a great scope for growth. Only the
most obvious ones have been
explored by now.
6. Despite all the limitations, this line
of furniture provides excellent
solutions for limited spaces. Their
flexibility is a boon and can be
harnessed in tough situations.
7. This type of furniture is being
introduced in space shuttles, space
habitats, International space
station design by NASA, as it is
collapsible and helps in freeing up
necessary space, which can be

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